Engineers
Overview Basic Characteristics The engineers are a loosely formed group with the intent of cracking all different types of software, most often to aid in its illegal distribution. They truly embody the ideals of the Crossbones Exchange. While some members of the organization see cracking software as merely a means to create profit, the true greats see not profit but an elaborate game of cat and mouse. Many of these engineers release software freely across the network, allowing all who seek it to have it, as opposed to selling it for a significantly reduced price. Many dedicated Engineers rent or own a base of sorts. This base is generally hidden away somewhere inconspicuous. Often they are highly fortified to protect against the inevitable sieges that occur when a corporate entity can no longer sufficiently battle the Engineer on a legal level. The real heart of an Engineer's base is in the technology that is housed in the inner sanctum. This is where an Engineers is truly at home. Most Engineers have at least five different systems operating in a grid formation, to provide the brute force needed in some situations. There will also be an average of at least two high speed, direct satellite linkups to The Grid, ensuring a constant connection no mater what the situation around the base is. Most Engineers forgo the classic keyboard interface for a direct neural connection to their systems. This direct connection requires some implanted components, but they are not too out of the ordinary to limit the Engineer when they attempt to move through secured checkpoints. With the neural interface the Engineer can much more efficiently interact with the software that they are cracking and can be much more intimately involved when navigating The Grid. With all of this there is a price, as the Engineer's neurological systems can be permanently and irreversibly damaged during a cybernetic attack on their system. Many feel that this risk is worth the added benefits. Connections to other Factions While most engineers are lone wolves, the very nature of their art forces them to corporate with other factions. Most notably, they must corporate with the network known as the Moles. They rely on the moles to provide them with the software at or before the point in time that it is released to the public. Current Members Many aspects of this Faction are very secretive, but members like to have their work known. The current members of this faction are listed below. To become a member of this faction, you have to contact the current leader. Leader: Up for grabs! Members: *mikku *deinos Narrative So, you're interested in the Engineers, are you? Can't say I blame you; we ARE the best faction, after all. The Crossbones Exchange may say that they're pirates at heart, but it's really our work that started this whole mess. So, the Corpers popped up all over the 'verse charging the crap out of average guys like you and me for stuff that should have been free. One of the greatest programs (or really, program CONCEPTS, I guess) that the Corpers ever put out was their HomeWorld AI program, able to convert an entire house into one gigantic Smart thing capable of nearly anything you could imagine. Too bad it cost more than you or I could make in half a lifetime. So we, the original Engineers, came along. We made the first band of crackers, what would eventually turn into this great institution, for the express purpose of cracking into the protection software of HomeWorld. We called ourselves the HomeWreckers. Quaint, ain't it? That's what we thought, too. I worked on that project, and I gotta say, though it was tough as nails, that encryption was nothing compared to our abilities. We cracked that sucker and popped it on The Grid for free download. All over the place, SmartHomes and SmartBuildings were popping up like weeds; man, that was a good time. Everyone was getting exactly what they needed. The Corpers tried tracking us, but we were lucky enough to get right under that sub-par legal radar of theirs... At the time, we had no clue what we really did. Ultima lost billions cause of that crack. They had to totally redesign the program, both to try to stop distribution of the software and to give people incentive to actually buy the thing. Their stock plummeted for about a month, which REALLY pushed their buttons. Then, people started coming out and saying that our work was a good thing, and that we had done the world a favor. That did it, I think. Those people weren't talking for long. Eventually, Ultima decided that the law wasn't working fast enough for them, even after they bought all that anti-piracy legislature. So, they armed themselves. They started killing us, just cause we did the world a favor that bit them in the ass. So, I guess you could say we started a lot. That one crack, that one act totally set into motion every litigation, and eventually every act of military might, that the Corpers have tried on us up until now. So, let the other Crossbones guys preach about how important they are. As of now, you're part of the guys that started it all. Get ready; you're gonna have one hell of a good time. ''-Phaze, Engineer''